Computer as Hard disk Recorder - A test of concept.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Randall Dibble
  • Start date Start date
R

Randall Dibble

New member
Computer as Hard disk Recorder - A test of concept.

A test of concept.

What is involved in using more then one computer at same time to record 4, 6, or 8 tracks live.

I have access to many fairly good computers that are being replace at a CAD Design Firm.

I'd like to build a muliti-track recording studio for my own use with them.

I have the a mixing desk and many effects and a high speed computer to do the mixing down.

I'm thinking using few computer seprately as simply a computer controlled hard disk recorders.

Is this a workable Idea??

Thanks
Ran
 
Sure it is, your biggest problem will be syncing everything together, and routing tracks to and from your console.

Many people use a second computer to render softsynths. I will be doing that myself shortly.
 
Randall Dibble said:
Computer as Hard disk Recorder - A test of concept.

A test of concept.

What is involved in using more then one computer at same time to record 4, 6, or 8 tracks live.

I have access to many fairly good computers that are being replace at a CAD Design Firm.

I'd like to build a muliti-track recording studio for my own use with them.

I have the a mixing desk and many effects and a high speed computer to do the mixing down.

I'm thinking using few computer seprately as simply a computer controlled hard disk recorders.

Is this a workable Idea??

Thanks
Ran
Click to expand...


You don't need multiple computers to record 8 tracks. 1 would be enough. That is, if you have an 8 channel sound card installed. Why do you think you need more than one?
 
Yeah a single, modern 7200rpm hard drive should be able to handle recording 32 tracks of 24/96 audio w/o breaking into a sweat
 
The Computers are freeee!

They Will not be moved and will be networked by 10/100 ethernet.

Each computer will record two tracks.

The tracks will be collected into a lastest and great newer model of computer and mixed down.

The only question I've heard is the alignment of the tracks.

I'm I correct that different timecode systems have been developed that will/can handle this problem.

Thanks
 
Your problem will be syncing the A/D convertors on each sound card together when you record. The card in one machine has no way of knowing if the 44100 samples it's taking every second,coincide exactly in time with the 44100 samples being taken every second by the cards in the other machines.

Now, if you could somehow unload plugin processing and spread it around multiple machines while mixing 30 or 40 tracks, you could be on to something...
 
Thanks

The machines are identical.

I’ll be mixing maybe 16 track at the most and more commonly 4 tracks.

What effect can expect if the A/D convertors while recording aren’t in sync and I use a timecode system to align the tracks.
 
You really don't want to know. Depending on what you use, you will have to consider syncing both audio (word clock, eg), and midi (SMPTE, eg).
 
Randall Dibble said:
The Computers are freeee!
Click to expand...


Good for you.

They Will not be moved and will be networked by 10/100 ethernet.

Each computer will record two tracks.

The tracks will be collected into a lastest and great newer model of computer and mixed down.
Thanks
Click to expand...


There is absolutely no reason to do this other than to see how much hair you can pull out. Save yourself some grief and put 1 good soundcard in your "Mixdown PC" and be done with it. Why are you even considering this. It's ludicris.
 
My intention is have a good and cheap 4 track hard disk recoder by using two computers to record two track each.

Record 4 tracks live i.e my four peice jazz band.

Once the files are recorder send them via the network to my Mixdown computer and align the tracks and mix down to stereo.

I'm retire! I save my money for my drugs, food and a roof over my head.

Saving money when I can.

A four track sound card is out range if I want to heat my house.

Thanks for the help
 
now i get it. why didn't you say that from the beginning? i thought you were either enjoyed pain, or you were a college kid doing an experiment on clustered real-time engineering.

i don't see any reason why it can't be done, and you can always use your audio software to slide the tracks around if they aren't quite in sync.
 
If I were in your situation I would do it a little differently, and it might work better than the multiple computer idea.

I have an old Creative Soundblaster "Live" soundcard that I don't use, if you PM me your email address I'll send it to you for free.

You can install it on your best computer, the one you will use for the mixdown, it might be easier to use the soundblaster in conjunction with the soundcard that's already in it to record 4 tracks at once on the one computer, but there may still be track syncing or even "drifting" over time issues though.

What software are you going to be using for this, and does it support more than 2 I/O at once?
 
Last edited:
This is POINTLESS....do not do this...Don't even play with the IDEA!!! It really is the sillyest thing I've ever heard..!!!

You say you have no money but you are gonna need Mic's, Multiple Mixing Desks and Pre-Amps for them for Each PC..Multiple Cables to run to your Multiple PC's... You see where your headed...this is why its not feasible...its actually and expensive option!!!

Sell those PC's and use the money for a Multiple Imput Sound Card or a 2nd Hand Dedicated Hard Disk Recorder...Or a 4track Tape device...
 
Thanks Kid Down I've got that covered.

I have over 40 years worth of stuff that I've collected as musican. The rest of old guys together have more c--- when we shake cane at.

I/we don't have a 4 track or better recorder or sound card.

I do have access a sh-- load of free good computers and plenty of time.


----
The issue of sync of A/D converts has been raised as a problem that I would have in aligning tracks.

I don't understand it. Are each A/D converter in a multi-track sound synced up? How would out of sync A/D converts effect therecording and time alingment of the tracks?

----

Transfering the recorder tracks to a single computer and using a timecode system "smpte" to line things up I understand, I think. How much time it would take to get each of the track starting together may not be easy. I don't know!

The Act I play with won't need to punch-in to correct their tracks. We'll record live and record direct thru our mixing desk to the computers that are recording. The mixing would be simple correct balance and creating a stereo sound image. Maybe compress the bass drum a little.

The software I've considered using are Audacity and N-Tracks for mixing down the tracks.

The software for recording on the individual computers used as hard disk records I'm unsure of. I should be simple and record at level that the soundcard best able to use.

Thank You Strrider I may take you up on that offer.
 
Seriously, sell one of the computers and get a multi-input soundcard. Record the audio on one computer. You're just asking for headaches and unnecessarily wasted time with this interesting yet outmoded concept.

If you're really gonna go ahead with this, aligning tracks is not as difficult as it may sound. You can zoom in pretty close and it becomes easy to see where the waves start.

Just curious, what country are you posting from?
 
A true Hillbilly of Southwestern, Michigan.

I envision setting up the computers in our rehearsal space. Fire them up when we start the reheasal or recording session. When we are done dump the files and take them home, edit and mix.

We are all retired Tec-noids. Just unfamilar with issues surrounding Computer related hard disk recording and Digital music processing.

Thanks
 
Randall Dibble said:
My intention is have a good and cheap 4 track hard disk recoder by using two computers to record two track each.
Click to expand...

If you just want to record 4 tracks why not pull the sound card out of one of them, stick it in one of the others and see if it will co-exist with the other one. Cheap and nasty, but it can work and would make your life a lot easier than mucking around with multiple machines.
 
Randall Dibble said:
I envision setting up the computers in our rehearsal space. Fire them up when we start the reheasal or recording session. When we are done dump the files and take them home, edit and mix.

Thanks
Click to expand...

For live recording that should work fine. It will be interesting to put it together - shouldn't be too hard. You can download free multitracking s/w to give it a try.

As far as syncing the converters goes, just think about it. Each a/d convertor is producing a series of numbers from the analog signal. Each number represents the amplitude or loudness of the musical noise at that instant in time. Fast Fourier Analysis of these numbers allow a d/a convertor to magically transform the number back into anlog music.

Now if you have 2 sets of numbers from 2 a/d convertors not synced together, the numbers will be slightly different than they would have been if they were sync'd. So when the mathematical algorithms in the d/a convertor recalculate the original sound, it won't sound quite the same - it will be slightly degraded. The degree of degradation depends on how out of time
the original sample are. Lining the tracks up prefectly in the software won't rectify the situation.

But for what you want to do it should be fine
 
I have a funny feeling your using cheap and nasty sound cards and the AD/DA's on those are gonna do some nasty stuff unless you have a pre-comped limited signal...

I cannot understand why you wouldn't want to get a proper sound card by selling those PC's you got free....?

Do what you wan't and have fun doin' it no doubt. You will probably learn alot in the Process...

I personally would spring for one of these...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=85867&item=3778589484&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

So, easy to take with you to record live or at impromptu moments when you don't want to spend 30mins booting PC's and getting all the levels correct!
 
Kid Downunder said:
I have a funny feeling your using cheap and nasty sound cards and the AD/DA's on those are gonna do some nasty stuff unless you have a pre-comped limited signal...

I cannot understand why you wouldn't want to get a proper sound card by selling those PC's you got free....?

Do what you wan't and have fun doin' it no doubt. You will probably learn alot in the Process...

I personally would spring for one of these...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=85867&item=3778589484&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

So, easy to take with you to record live or at impromptu moments when you don't want to spend 30mins booting PC's and getting all the levels correct!
Click to expand...


But for $200, he could get a delta 1010lt and have 8 analog ins. But, if money is really that big of a factor, I would take the soundcard out of 1 of them (if they are not integrated on the MB) and put into the mix PC. You can get a soundblaster card for a few bucks if you have to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top